Tooth-cleaning instrument



Oct. 20, 1925. 1558,225

J. C. BOEKER TOOTH CLEANING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 9, 1923 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED srares 1,558,225 PATENT OFFTIQE;

JULIUS O. BOEKER, OF MOUNT OLIVE, ILLINOIS.

TOOTH-CLEANING INSTRUIVIENT.

Application filed August 9, 1923. Serial No. 656,491.

To all 'whom'z't may concern: 1 Be it known that I, JULIUs C. BOEKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at be employed with great effectiveness in cleansing and polishing the teeth, and the invention contemplates so constructing the instrument that cleaning or polishing heads or tips of various sizes may be substituted one for another to meet the requirements of any particular case.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cleaning instrument Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the instrument Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the cleansing members of the instrument open or relatively separated, and the pad of the instrument removed;

Figure 4: is a detail transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 6-6 of Figure 8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one form of cleaning or polishing pad designed for assemblage with the handle of the instrument;

Figure 7 is a detail transverse sectional view on the line 88 of Figure 6 illustrating a pad of one kind of material;

Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating a pad of another kind of material.

The cleaning and polishing instrument embodying the invention comprises a handle 15 which is provided at its forward end with a shank extension 16 which may be 1ntegral therewith or threaded into the handle as shown. The shank 16 is split longitudinally medially as indicated by the numeral 17 and the said shank is substantially of the cross sectional contour illustrated in Figures 4: and 5 of the drawings, being approximately rectangular but being gradually increased in width in the direction of its f0r;

ward end and, from a point substantially corresponding to its line of juncture with the forward end of the handle: 15 to a point in dicated by the numeral 18. Beyond the point 18 the shank is preferably decreased in width to its extremity. The handle and shank are of some material having a degree of resiliency so that when the spaced gripping members of the shank formed by splitting the said shank, are unrestricted, the said gripping members will be slightly sprung apart as shown clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings. In order that the members may be closed so as to grip between them the cleaning or polishing-pad to be held, a collar 19 is slidably disposed upon the shank and, when slid to a point corresponding substantially to the juncture of the shank with the handle, as shown in Figure3, will not retrict the gripping members which are indicated by the numeral 20. However, when the collar is slid forwardly along the shank,

the gripping members will be sprung to-- wards each other due to the gradual increase in width of the said shank in the direction of its forward end and inthis manner the gripping members may be caused to grip the pad which is disnosed between them. In order that the gripping members attheir forward ends may be adapted to grip and retain the cleaning and polishing pads which are to be associated with the handle, the said members are formed in their opposing faces or, in other words, in the walls of the slit 17 with longitudinally extending grooves 21 providing spaced flanges 22.

The cleaning and the polishing pads are both of the same general form and this form is clearly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings which is a perspective view of one of said pads. The pad is indicated in general by the numeral 23 and in one instance, as shown in Figure 7, may be made of rubber, and in another'instance, as shown in Figure 8, will be made of felt or some other soft and fibrous material. The pad 23 is preferably rounded upon its back at its forward end, as indicated by the numeral 24, and the working face of the pad, which is indicated by the numeral 25, is preferably both transversely and longitudinally concave, as will be evident by reference to Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings. The pad is provided in its opposite side faces with longitudinal grooves 26 which terminate as at 27 short of the forward end 24 of the pad, the grooves opening at their rear ends through the rear end of the said pad The formation of these grooves provides spaced ribs 28 which extend longitudinally of the opposite sides of the pad, and it will be evident that when the pad is assembled with the handle, the ribs nearer the back of the pad will be received within the grooves 21 in the opposing sides of the gripping members 20 of the shank of the instrument, the flanges 22 engaging in the grooves 26. In this manner the pad is adapted to be firmly clamped in place, upon forward sliding movement of the collar 19, and the pad will be so held that its concave working face 25 may be readily rubbed over the teeth to be cleaned, some suitable dentifrice being applied to the said working face of the pad so as to effect a cleansing of the teeth or polishing thereof, depending upon whether the pad shown in Figure 7 is employed or the pad shown in Figure 8. Of course the pads may be made in various sizes and their working faces may be designed to act most effectually upon the teeth. I have found that by forming the said working faces of concave contour both longitudinally and transversely, they are best adapted to operate upon the teeth but they may be given some other contour if it should be found expedient or desirable. Of course, any desired number of the polishing or cleaning pads may be provided in the set and they may be readily substituted one for another as occasion may require.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A tooth cleaning instrument comprising a handle, gripping members extending therefrom and normally separated at their outer portions, the opposing sides of the said members being formed with grooves closed at their inner ends and opening at their outer ends through the ends of the said gripping members, the grooves extending longitudinally of the said gripping members, means for drawing the members together, and a pad slidably insertable endwise between the grooved outer end portions of thegripping members, thesaid pad being provided at its opposite sides with ribs engaging in the grooves.

2. A tooth cleaning instrument comprising a handle, gripping members extending therefrom and normally separated at their outer portions, the opposing sides of the said members being formed with grooves extending longitudinally of the said respective gripping members and closed at their inner ends to provide abutment shoulders and opening at their outer ends through the ends of the said gripping members, means for drawing the members together, and a pad slidably insertable endwise be tween the grooved end portions of the gripping members, the said pad having a working face and a back and being provided at its opposite sides adjacent its back with longitudinally extending ribs engaging in the grooves and at their inner ends abutting against the closed ends of the grooves.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JULIUS o. BOEKER. a 8. 

